Google Gets Rid Of 300 Apps That Spread DDoS Malware

Google has taken 300 apps off the Play Store after they were connected to a widespread DDoS attack. Researchers found the apps were taking over devices in order to use them to bombard sites with illegitimate traffic. The botnet, WireX, was noticed by Akamai, a CDN.

One of Akamai's clients was targeted by WireX earlier this month. Traffic came from hundreds of thousands of IP addresses, showing how far the Android malware spread.

We identified approximately 300 apps associated with the issue, blocked them from the Play Store, and we're in the process of removing them from all affected devices. The researchers' findings, combined with our own analysis, have enabled us to better protect Android users, everywhere.- Google